"The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water"

This quote by John W. Gardner is a powerful pointer that quality must be valued in all areas of life, regardless of the perceived value of the activity. It suggests that if we do not strive for excellence in all areas, we will not attain excellence in any. The quote indicates that if we do not worth quality in plumbing, a seemingly simple activity, then we will not have great plumbing. Likewise, if we tolerate shoddiness in viewpoint, an exalted activity, then we will not have excellent viewpoint either. The quote is a tip that excellence need to be valued in all areas of life, which if we do not strive for excellence, then our efforts will not hold water.